After The Storm
by TellSuzieShe'sALuckyCat
Summary: When Hermione returns to Hogwarts, she wonders where the road will take her and who else will go back to Hogwarts...


After the Storm 

Chapter 1 

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters, places or references to previous plotlines. 

Hermione looked from the parchment. She wasn't sure how she would feel, returning back all alone. Ron and Harry didn't want to go back but she felt she needed to.

It had been an odd summer for the wizarding world. It should have been a time of celebration but the deaths of many love ones clouded over it. But still, things were looking up. Over the summer, the ministry had been reformed by Kingsley Shaklebot and he had been elected as Minster for Magic. Harry spent a lot of time at the ministry so Ron and Hermione had barely seen him in the last two weeks. Shaklebot and Harry were talking about the Auror Department, Hermione could tell from the few letters she and Ron had been receiving from him.

Hermione had spent a great deal of time at the Burrow over the summer. Her parents were still in Australia under her spell which Hermione was determinted to release them from over the Christmas Holidays when their house had been bought back. Hermione felt a weird sense of loss surrounding her all summer. Maybe it was the deaths of friends or maybe it was the feeling that nothing would be the same again. Ron was working in George's shop trying to get it back on it's feet while Harry had almost landed a job in the Auror Department. Hermione was the only one determinted to go back to Hogwarts and get her NEWTs.

McGonagall, the newly appointed headmistress of Hogwarts, has given the opportunity to those who had been forced to miss last year at Hogwarts to join the last year's sixth years who had completed their end of year exams in seventh year. Hermione wondered who would be returning. She doubted many from her year would return. Ginny was attending at least, although it was only because Mrs. Wealsey forced her to. All the Ravenclaw would probably attend to get their grades. Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors probably would go into the world of work but Hermione pondered about the Slytherins – would they have the guts to show their faces? Almost all of the Slytherins had abandoned the school in its hour of need. How could they return now?

Hermione looked back at her parchment. It was her letter of acceptance to Hogwarts.

_Dear Miss Granger, _

_I'm delight to inform you that your application to return for your seventh year at Hogwarts has been accepted. Inside the envelope is a list of books you will require to continue your studies. I hope you are well. _

_Professor McGonagall _

_Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Hermione had received the letter two days ago and had since bought the required books. She wasn't sure why she was looking at it again. She knew it off by heart.

She sighed and looked out of the window. She was in a compartment by herself.

It was dark outside and Hermione yawned. She blamed it on the lack of sleep she had been getting these last few days and she closed her eyes, giving up trying to stay awake.

When Hermione woke, it was almost dark outside and the express had grounded to a halt. Luckily she had already changed into her school robes as soon as she had gotten on the train as per usual. She remembered her first journey on the Hogwarts Express and smiled, lost in memories. It seemed like a lifetime ago now. A time when there was little trouble in the world compared to how it had grown over the years since. Back then Hermione's biggest worry was whether she would be top of the class or not.

Hermione jumped as she heard a bang. Someone's suitcase had fallen off the high shelving above the seats of a nearby compartment and she suddenly snapped out of her daydreaming and sighed as she lifted her trunk off the shelf.

Along the corridor, she hurried while many passengers stared at her. She was getting used to that by now. Before it was always Harry who got the attention but now, she too was getting her own share of the limelight.

As she passed some familiar faces, she came across a man carrying a potted plant in his hand and a smile spread across his face.

"Hermione!" The man said while Hermione smiled at her good friend, Neville Longbottom. "How are you?"

He grimaced, "Well, I've been better. It will be hard, watching everyone just disappear but it's over now. Thanks to you three."

"It's more Harry than me and Ron. We just helped," She tried to explain. "Everyone did their bit."

"Except the Slytherins," he said, frowning now with angry burning eyes. "Did you think any of them will come back this year?"

"I doubt it. They are no way brave enough to show their faces around here no after last year."

Neither of them spoke for a moment then Neville gave a weak smile, "I'll see you around then, I'm going to go and find Luna – she wrote to me tell me she's coming back but I couldn't find her on the carriages."

Hermione smiled back and then both of them went their separate ways.

While walking to the carriages alone, she looked up at the castle. It looked the same as when she had first walked through the doors but it felt so different. She no longer thought of it as the place where she spent her adolescent; she could only think of the people who had died in the battle there.

She could see the threstrels now, dark house skeletons with heavy hoofs and bat like wings, staring at her with their beady eyes knowingly. She had never seen them in the flesh before but she had never seen death before last summer either. And as it took off along the track, she came to her senses and called after it.

"Wait!" She yelled and the carriage came to a halt for her so she climbed aboard.

Hermione sighed, full of momentarily relief until she saw who was sitting in the carriage; she was so disguised she almost considered getting off the carriage and waiting in the cold for the next one. Anything to avoid sitting next to –

"Granger…" Draco began.

"What are you doing here Malfoy?" she demanded to know, feeling so angry than he was willing to show his arrogant face around here. She glared at him and noticed his face was no longer arrogant. He looked worn out, tired and his eyes had a somber tone to them. However that wasn't going to get him any sympathy, she thought to herself, not if my name isn't Hermione Jean Granger.

"Well?" Hermione asked for an answer again, knowing no answer would be good enough.

"Granger, the carriage won't start its way to the castle until you sit down," Draco pointed out.

She looked at the threstrel and saw he was right. She begrudging sat down beside him sitting as far away from his side as possible. She knew she was being childish but she didn't care. She didn't want to be near the man who had worked for the person who endangered everything she cared about – through he was hardly a man at all, she thought to herself.

An uneasy silence followed. Hermione said nothing more to Draco. At least this was an improvement to her earlier attitude. The last time they had spoken was in the mist of a Battle, a battle which they were on different sides.

Draco tried to think of things to say but no words formed. What could he say? There were no words.

The two sat in silence as the carriage rode up to the castle they had spend their adolescence and spent good times there with there friends. Hermione could only sit and wonder who else from the Slytherin house would dare show their faces.

* * *

><p>So let me know what you think? I might not continue with this unless people like it. I have got a rough idea of where the plot is going. And by the way although I put this as a Dramione story they might not end up together... that's something I'll have to decide.<p>

Thanks for reading

d-_-b


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